The One That Remained
by Ginger
Summary: The cadets go on a trip to Antioch and encounter an old man with a warning -- CHAPTER TWO UP 1/22 -- incomplete -- Please r/r Any criticism ( and well any review ) is greatly appreciated!
1. TotR - PART ONE

Title: The One That Remained  
Author: Ash  
Rating: PG  
Teaser: Alayia's Story Challenge!  
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. They belong to Studios USA or   
Whoever owns the Rights to Young Hercules. This is just for fun. No money is being made. The characters of Alayia, Casche, Mimma & Neila belong to their wonderful owners. The other three belong to me but anyone who wants to use them go right ahead its not like they make me any money anyways!  
  
  
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"It was such a good idea to go on a camping trip," Ash said looking at her friend Alayia.  
  
Alayia turned icy blue eyes on Ash's own pale blue ones. "Well I figured that we all needed a break from the Academy and since we don't have classes for two weeks."  
  
Alayia had just finished helping Ash pack and now the latter was returning the favor. Both girls were incredibly excited about their upcoming trip.  
  
"I'm glad the guys decided to come along too," Ash added.  
  
"Yeah even though they weren't invited!" Neila chimed in as she entered Alayia's dorm room.   
  
"Yeah that excuse about having to watch out for us was pretty lame," Alayia laughed. "So Neila, came to help me pack? We just finished packing all of Ash's stuff. I swear she thinks she's going away for three moons the way this girl packs. "  
  
"Hey, do you realize I'm still in the room?" Ash said, pretending to be offended. "You could never pack too much. You don't know what's going to happen. When I'm prepared and your not you won't be making fun of me then now will you? Didn't think so!"  
  
"Ashley, no offense but I stopped by your room looking for you two and you have enough packed to supply the whole Academy!" Neila joked.  
  
"Yeah how do you plan on carrying all those bags?"  
  
"Oh one of the guys will help me out! Or maybe more than one considering all the stuff I got," Ashley joked. "Why else would we let the guys come along anyways?"  
  
"I don't know why?" Hercules said poking his head into Alayia's dorm room and glancing at the three girls. Luckily he had missed the beginning part of Ashley's comment.  
  
"To experience your expertise in hunting of course," Neila said to her brother, saving Ash who was struggling to think of something to reply back to one of her uncles.  
  
"Are you all packed Herc?" Alayia asked changing the subject.  
  
"Yup, but I wish I could say the same for Jason. Geez does he pack a lot of stuff. I guess royals feel the need to pack a lot," Hercules added then, along with Ashley, getting a bit confused about why Neila and Alayia started laughing uncontrollably.  
  
"No wonder him and Ash seem to get along so well!" Neila added, still trying to stop her laughing.  
  
"Both of them feel the need to pack as much as humanly possible," Alayia added to Neila's comment.  
  
"Well anyways," Hercules said trying to change the subject because he didn't quite understand. "I think everyone is just about ready to go. I just passed Casche in the hallway who was going to help Iolaus finish. I'll meet you guys out front in a little while ok." With that the young demi-god turned and walked out of the room.  
  
"I wonder what kind of adventures will be waiting for us on this trip!" Neila said meeting gazes with her two friends as they headed to meet everyone to begin their trip.  
  
Alayia picked up her bag and along with Neila headed to Ashley's dorm room to get her many bags. After a lot of talking Neila and Alayia finally managed to convince Ashley to unpack some of the things that she definitely wouldn't need. Soon Ares' daughter had managed to get her four bags down to only two. Which was still more than Alayia and Neila had packed. And both girls were willing to bet it was more than anyone else had either.   
  
"Are you sure I don't need to pack anything else?" Ashley asked fearing she would forget something.  
  
"Well let's see," Neila began. "You packed six sets of clothes for the day and six sets of clothes to sleep in."  
  
"For, a three day trip," Alayia added, laughing along with Neila but Ashley didn't seem to find anything out of the ordinary with packing so many clothes. Just seemed normal to her.  
  
"You packed four daggers, three nets, two flasks, three pieces of parchment, two extra pairs of boots," Neila commented.  
  
"Two pairs of sandals," Alayia continued. "Four black cloaks, two capes, three sleeping bags, lots of string, and the magic ball you got on our last trip to Corinth."  
  
"Hey Jason said the people of Corinth think balls like that can tell the future! And I got it for free!" Ash defended.  
  
"That's cause the guy saw you with Jason and thought you were royalty!" Alayia offered. "Not to mention he told you that you could stop by his cottage anytime you wanted to!"  
  
"Hey I still got it free!"   
  
"We should get going," Neila reminded them. We already told Hercules we'd be down there in a little while and then we had repack for Ashley!"  
  
"Well it wasn't my fault. I just like to be prepared," Ashley retorted. "Well Neila let's go pick up your stuff then we can go. And hopefully Hercules won't be having a breakdown. Plus he said Jason wasn't packed yet either. There's no reason to worry."  
  
"I'm so excited about the trip!" Alayia exclaimed as the three girls entered Neila's room. Zeus' daughter grabbed her bag, slung it over her shoulder and headed out of her room with her two friends.  
  
"I know it should be so much fun, all of us out there with no Feducious, no Cheiron, no adult supervision!" Ashley squealed in excitement. "Though Dracus will be there unfortunately!"  
  
"Ash that's your brother!" Neila replied. "You don't see me talking to way about Hercules."  
  
"But Hercules doesn't treat you like your three years old," Ash retorted.  
  
"That's true. He does treat you like your a little girl why is that?" Alayia questioned.  
  
"I have no clue. Maybe he feels he wasn't around as much when I was a kid because he was at school ya know. And then when we found out that his dad isn't really mine he feels he is the only one I got left I guess," Ashley attempted not really knowing the answer  
  
"Yeah but don't forget you got us, too. You both do," Neila added, her smile lighting up the hallway the three friends were currently walking down. Suddenly the see Casche come around a corner heading towards them with an annoyed look on her face.   
  
"Thank Zeus I found you guys!," the new goddess replied. I thought that Hercules was going to send out a search party for you girls. He's so worried about this trip. He wants us to get there before sundown so I think we're going to have to hurry it's already passed mid-day."  
  
"Oh wow!" Alayia exclaimed. "I hadn't realized how late it was!"  
  
"I'm sure you didn't!" Hercules exclaimed as he saw the four girls turn the corner of the hallway.  
  
"Calm down Hercules. I told you that I would find them. And now everyone's ready to go. See no sweat. Where did you say we were going again?" Casche asked sweetly.  
  
"Antioch," Hercules replied.  
  
"Why does that name sound familiar?" Iolaus asked, as he scratched his head lightly.   
  
"I don't know but let's go!" Hercules repeated as the cadets headed to the start of their adventure  
  
"What took you guys so long !" Mimma whispered into Ashley's ear as the cadets headed outside.   
  
"It wasn't my fault!" Ash exclaimed not realizing that Mimma had no idea about her packing experiences earlier that day.   
  
"Um, yeah," Mimma replied confused. "I'm glad that we don't have Fiddle Face coming along. Though Cheiron did send Garen. But that's cool with us."  
  
"Garen's coming?" Ash asked, with a slight tilt of her head.  
  
"Yeah he's only up there walking with Jason!" Casche exclaimed shaking her head  
  
"Oh yeah! I guess I was too preoccupied with thinking I forgot something!" Ash said, her sarcasm heavy as she glanced at Neila and Alayia.  
  
"Oh Zeus!" both girls laughed loudly and threw their hands up in the air.  
  
"Didn't you have more bags before?" Neila asked Ash.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So where'd the other one go?" Alayia questioned.  
  
"Jason."  
  
"He's carrying your bag?" Mimma blurted out. "He already has two of his own!"  
  
"Well he offered!"  
  
"Oh Ash!" the four other girls replied simultaneously.  
  
----------  
  
"This is going to be great!" Iolaus exclaimed. "No adult supervision!"  
  
"Um, hello!" Garen added " What am I? Invisible?"  
  
"Well your not exactly adult supervision," Hercules explained.  
  
"Yeah Garen," Dracus continued. "Your cool with us."  
  
"Um, thanks," Garen said honored but not exactly knowing what to say.  
  
"Hey guys why don't we camp here?" Jason suggested.  
  
"Yeah it's getting kind of late. I'll go tell the girls," Hercules said and went over to the five girls presently walking a ways behind the boys. "I think we're going to camp here tonight ok"  
  
"Why do you guys get to decide?" Neila asked playfully.  
  
"Yeah what if we didn't want to camp here for the night?" Mimma asked, joining in.  
  
"Yeah Hercky-boy. What would you have done then? huh?" Ash added getting up in his face like the others had.  
  
"We don't have to camp here if you don't want to," Hercules replied, a tad bit confused.  
  
The girls burst out laughing, confusing Hercules even more.  
  
"This will be fine," Casche said, easing the young demi-god up a bit, but unfortunately not much.  
  
It was dark before they knew it and the cadets had all their sleeping bags surrounding the fire in the order of Garen, Mimma, Hercules, Alayia, Neila, Iolaus, Casche, Dracus, Jason, and finally Ashley. It was warm out and didn't look like it was going to rain so they figured there was no need to open up the tents. After a long time of chatting and telling some ghost stories the cadets settled down. Almost all of the cadets had already fallen asleep when a rustling was heard in nearby bushes. That is except for Jason who lay quietly thinking in between Dracus and Ashley. Yet the Prince had not heard the rustling sound either. He knew Dracus was a little mad that Jason was sleeping down next to his little sister, even though they were only a year apart.   
  
'I guess he doesn't feel as threatened having her sleep next to Garen' Jason thought as he rolled onto his other side facing a sleeping Ashley. 'She looks so peaceful laying there like that.'  
  
Jason had gently reached his hand over to Ashley's cheek when the noise was heard again, only this time Jason heard it, causing him to sit up suddenly and look around. The fire had been out for a long time and the moon was not visible behind the cloud it was currently behind making it nearly impossible to see farther than five feet.   
  
"Whose there?" Jason called out, trying to be loud enough to maybe scare away whoever it was but not loud enough to wake the others.   
  
Yet silence was what greeted the Corinthian. Jason slowly began to lay back down when he heard the sound again, this time closer to him.  
  
"This isn't funny Hercules," Jason called out hoping that it was his friend since he could not see far enough to see if the demi-god was asleep in his spot or not.  
  
"What are you talking about Jason?" came Hercules' voice from his designated sleeping area. "Why are you awake yelling things?"  
  
"I heard something in the bushes, I thought it might be you," explained Jason.  
  
"Well go back to sleep, it was probably just an animal or something. We need lots of rest we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow"  
  
No sooner had Hercules and Jason laid down then the noise was heard again.   
  
"What was that?" Hercules asked his voice shaking.  
  
"I knew I wasn't imagining things!" Jason replied, his voice even shakier than Hercules'.  
  
"Guys what's going on?" Neila said, waking up.  
  
"Can you light a torch with an energy bolt?" Hercules asked his sister quickly.  
  
"Um, yeah why?" Neila asked while lighting a nearby stick with an energy bolt and handing it to her brother over a still sleeping Alayia.  
  
Hercules jumped up with Jason trailing towards the spot they had heard noises coming from before. Yet nothing was there. They searched around for a few minutes.  
  
"Nothing," Jason said, still kind of scared.  
  
"What was that all about?" Neila asked as the two boys returned and Hercules carefully put out the torch.  
  
"We thought we heard something," Hercules admitted and the three went back to sleep with Hercules and Jason still wondering what had made all the noise.  
  
Jason and Hercules didn't get much sleep after last nights noises still lingered in the back of there minds. A little after sunrise both cadets had gone for separate walks to sort out their memories from the previous evening. Jason returned with berries and Hercules returned with some fish he had caught that would supply the cadets for breakfast. Before long the rest of the cadets were awake, with the exception of Iolaus.   
  
Neila, Mimma, and Ashley were preparing the breakfast while the rest of the cadets were doing various jobs. Soon breakfast was ready but Iolaus was still sleeping.  
  
"So who wants to take the delight of waking up Iolaus?" Hercules asked.  
  
"I'll do it," Casche offered and grabbed a plate of the freshly prepared food. She walked over to the curly haired cadet and waived it in front of his sleeping face. Iolaus' eyes immediately popped open and he sat up quickly. Causing the rest of the cadets to burst out laughing.   
  
"That was a great idea, Casche," Mimma exclaimed, still laughing.  
  
"Well we all know the only thing Iolaus enjoys more then sleep," Neila explained.  
  
"Food," the group of cadets and their teacher let out simultaneously without even alerting Iolaus who was busy inhaling the food Casche had just placed in front of his handsome face.  
  
The cadets soon finished their meals and started on the walk again, not taking very long to reach what Hercules had said was Antioch. There were few houses they passed and quickly made their way to the town center. There were lots of people making there way around looking at various stands. They asked for directions to a local inn where they could spend the night and had to leave the center of town and walk a few miles. On the way there they heard the same rustling noise that Jason and Hercules had heard the night before.  
  
"Did you hear that?" Alayia said as she stopped in place.  
  
"Hercules," Jason whispered to one of his best friends. "That sounds like the noise from last night."  
  
"I know," Hercules agreed. "This time we're definitely finding out what it is."  
  
Without telling the others, Hercules and Jason ran to the direction of the noise, leaving the others stunned.   
  
"What are they doing?" Garen asked.  
  
Soon, a rustling could be heard and the rest of the cadets ran to see what was going on.  
  
They ran into a clearing behind the bushes and could see Jason sprawled on the ground and Hercules holding on tightly to a grubby old man.   
  
"What happened?" a concerned Ashley asked running over to Jason and helping him up. "Are you ok?"  
  
"Yeah that that man just knocked me over," Jason said stunned that such an elderly man would have so much strength.   
  
"Why are you following us?" Hercules demanded as he still held onto the man.  
  
"Hercules," Neila warned. "What are you doing. Let him go."  
  
"Yeah you two are acting like idiots," Ash added. "Why did you chase after this poor man."  
  
"And what do you mean following us?" Iolaus asked.  
  
"This guy was near our campsite last night," Jason added still trying to regain composure.  
  
All eyes turned to the old man whom Hercules had released.  
  
"It's true," he admitted. "I wanted to warn you. You can't stay here. Antioch is not safe. Not this part at least."  
  
"What do you mean?" Mimma asked.  
  
"Once at least fifty summers ago, a family from Antioch wanted to get away from the city. After months of searching the woods for the "perfect spot" to live. One day, they found the perfect place to build their house. Unfortunately, it was a graveyard. It took them a while, but they managed to move all the bodies necessary to build their house and would not be disturbing the dead. Apparently, there had been an unmarked grave, for the family was found destroyed several weeks later by a local farmer. He claimed he caught a glance at the hideous beast. Everyone thought he was insane until animals started disappearing...then humans... They say it still hides out at old house, and no one ever dares to go up there. And that's exactly where your heading."   
  
"How could you know where we are heading?" Neila demanded.  
  
"I see visions of the future. There not whole stories. Just parts."  
  
"Well what do you see?" Dracus asked.  
  
"I can't tell you its too horrifying,"  
  
"Tell us," Hercules demanded taking a step towards the old man.  
  
"I see all of you. And there's blood, lots of it. Even the immortals can not escape it."  
  
"How do you know we are immortal?" Casche asked.  
  
"I can't explain it you'll just have to listen to me and leave now. Or you will never leave. Alive that is." 


	2. TotR - PART TWO

Title: The One That Remained Chapter 2  
Author: Ash  
Rating: PG  
Teaser: Alayia's Story Challenge!  
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. They belong to Studios USA or Whoever owns the Rights to Young Hercules. This is just for fun. No money is being made. The characters of Alayia, Casche, Mimma & Neila belong to their wonderful owners. The other three belong to me but anyone who wants to use them go right ahead its not like they make me any money anyways!  
  
  
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"I can't explain it you'll just have to listen to me and leave now. Or you will never leave. Alive that is."  
  
"Why should we believe you old man?" Jason asked, angered now.  
  
"You have to believe me."  
  
"Look," Ash said, joining in on Jason's anger " Unless you can give us an actual example as to why we shouldn't be here then we're going to stay. And I think you should leave and stop following us around and go find someone else to tell you story to."  
  
"No, you look little girl!" the old man shouted walking menacingly towards Ashley "I will not take such talk from a mere peasant girl! You will listen to me or you will die. No questions. No one will be able to save you. Do you understand me? Your all going to die unless you leave."  
  
His last words rang in the air as the group was silent not knowing what to do. The earth seemed to stand still as he spoke.   
  
"Why don't you just leave now alright?" Casche suggested, finally breaking the silence  
  
They were all shocked at what the man had said and stared as he retreated back in the woods. No one had wanted to believe what the man said. Yet there was something they couldn't ignore.  
  
"You'll believe me young ones. I only hope it won't be too late," he called as he began to run away.  
  
"Don't worry," Mimma started, attempting to calm everyone. "That guy was crazy. It's not true."  
  
"Yeah he couldn't have seen that. It's not going to happen," Hercules added.  
  
The group had calmed down and they had continued walking trying to get closer to the inn. It began to get dark and they decided to camp. Ignoring the man's story.   
  
They camped near a nice lake and soon everyone as fast asleep. With Jason's snoring the only sound. They were sleeping in the same way they had the night before and Ash was awake because of Jason's snoring. She had fallen asleep quickly but had soon woken up. It had not been long before she heard a loud rustling in the bushes.  
  
"Who's there?" Ashley called out hoping it was one of the other cadets who had gotten up to go the bathroom or something. When no one answered she began to think the noise was just her imagination. Suddenly she heard it again, only this time louder.  
  
"Dracus if that's you I'm going to kill you," Ash said, instantly regretting using such words after the old man had said similar ones earlier. "I mean it stop trying to scare me."  
  
An unreal silence was all that returned to the young girl. She couldn't sleep after hearing those noises so decided to take a walk since she hadn't heard any noises for a good five minutes. She stood up and began walking towards the lake. She sat down on the old dock and put her feet in the water.  
  
'Its freezing' she thought as the water swirled between her toes. The moon was full and shone out over the pristine lake.   
  
"I wish the others could see how pretty this looks," Ashley said out loud The cadets rarely got times to just sit back and take in the scenery. They were constantly doing something. The gods just seemed to never leave them alone. At least so far on this trip they had been left to their own devices.   
  
Out of the corner of her eye Ashley thought she saw something move. But when she looked nothing was there.   
  
"Must have been my........." Ashley began but never got to finish as something from in the water grabbed her ankles and she plunged into the icy water below.  
  
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Alayia and the rest of the cadets we're having a nice swim in the lake. It was night time so they swam by the moonlight. Alayia and Ash decided to race each other to a rock out in the middle. Hercules was staying with Iolaus in the shallow water and the rest of the cadets we're running around and having a great time. Alayia and Ashley were so far out they could barely see the other cadets.   
  
"I'm going to beat you!" Ash called out playfully as the two girls picked up speed.  
  
"Over my dead body!" Alayia yelled back, pushing her body more.  
  
Alayia looked straight and concentrated on the large rock that was slowly coming closer in distance. She looked towards Ashley but couldn't find her. Alayia stopped in her tracks treading water and yelling her friend's name. She dove underwater trying to see if Ashley was playing a trick on her. What she saw made her blood run could. Underneath the water Ashley was floating lifelessly, blood floating in the water around her face.  
  
Alayia awoke with a start. That last dream she had startled her and now she was wide awake. Unfortunately she was the only one. Well as far as she could see. It was pitch black and she could barely see the sleeping forms of Hercules and Neila, who were sleeping right next to her. From where she was sitting, the trees blocked the moon, baring out even that light.  
  
Alayia tried laying back down to sleep but that last dream she had would not let her resume her slumber. She just couldn't get it out of her head. She knew Ash was fine even if the darkness would not let her see her friend. Alayia knew her worrying was fruitless so she decided to take a walk down to the lake. She figured if she saw no one there it would rest her mind. As she was walking towards the lake she heard a rustling close towards her. Alayia stopped in her tracks and glanced around. A young boy about 5 summers old walked towards her crying.   
  
The boy had bright red hair that Alayia could make out even in the darkness. He had the brightest blue eyes that she had ever seen before. Streaks ran down his pale face and he looked scared.  
  
"Honey are you lost?" Alayia said, trying to soothe the young boy. The boy started laughing and that was all Alayia could remember before the world went dark.  
  
__________  
  
Neila tossed and turned in her sleep, trying to find comfort from the strange dreams she was having. She kept waking up and after a few minutes knew she wouldn't find sleep that evening. Slowly, Neila turned over onto her back to look at the stars. Hoping to find comfort in the stars and constellations as she knew her close friend, Celest was the Goddess of Stars and Constellations. Yet tonight Celest was busy somewhere else as no stars showed in Antioch.   
  
Not even the moon would light their camping area as Neila looked around, attempting to make out any of her friends sleeping figures. Unfortunately, the demi goddess could make out no more than shadows of her dormant schoolmates. Though, she, as well as the others, tried to get the old man's warning out her head she just couldn't help but let his words run through her mind. Silently, Neila wondered if the others were as bothered by the man's foretelling as she was.   
  
Neila heard a loud laughing nearby and wondered who it was. It could have been anyone in her group as she could not really see the other cadets near her. She sat up quickly when she heard a familiar voice.  
  
"Is that Alayia?" the young demi-goddess asked herself, out loud.  
  
The laughing grew louder and Neila forced her sleep deprived body to get up. She quickly rushed towards the sound of the laughter and reached an open clearing where she saw Alayia passed out on the ground.  
  
"Alayia!" Neila called out and sprinted to her friends side. No one was around and Neila quickly checked over her friend to look for a reason why she was unconscious. In her panic over her fallen friend, Neila forgot about the laughing she had heard earlier. To her dismay, Neila could not find any marks on Alayia that would cause her to pass out like that. It was almost as if the girl had fainted. Neila didn't know what to do. So she did the first thing that came to her mind. She called for help.  
  
"Hercules! Iolaus!" she shouted, then realizing Iolaus would not wake to a simple yell. She cradled Alayia's head in her lap hoping she would awaken soon. "Jason! Garen! Help please! Casche! Mimma! Anyone! Please!"  
  
Neila had been so determined to get someone to come and help that she didn't notice someone had already arrived in the clearing. Though obviously not to help her. It was a boy, about 10 summers old. He looks a lot like the boy Alayia had seen earlier. Same bright red hair and sparkling blue eyes.   
  
"No yelling will help you, nor your fallen friend," the boy said walking towards her with his hands placed behind his back.  
  
"Who are you?" Neila asked.  
  
"You should have never come," the boy said and that was all she could remember before she plunged into the same abyss that her friend had a few moments earlier.  
  
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"Jason! Garen! Help please! Casche! Mimma! Anyone! Please!" Casche heard as she walked back towards the campsite.  
  
She had been unable to sleep earlier, and went for a walk. At that time she had believed everyone else was asleep. She entered their campsite when she heard it and saw Mimma was already up on her feet.  
  
"That's Neila," Mimma said concerned, answering Casche's unasked question.  
  
Both girls immediately ran in the direction they had heard their friend's cry for help. Not bothering to wake the others, but hoping and believing that they had heard her also.  
  
Casche entered the clearing first and stopped so suddenly that Mimma ran into her back. Both stared in horror as they noticed that their two friends had passed out on the ground. No one was around except for a large animal standing directly behind Neila and Alayia. The large monster was nothing either had ever seen before. It was large like a bear, but also looked somewhat human like. In a grotesque way. Casche reached for a dagger in her boot but to her shock they were both gone. Mimma remembered bringing her staff but suddenly couldn't find it.   
  
"What are we going to do?" Mimma asked, frightened.  
  
"Run," Casche yelled hoping they could run back to camp and get teh others to help them, as well as some weapons knowing that they could not use hand to hand combat on such a beast.   
  
The girls turned around only to find another beast standing and growling at them.  
  
"What do we do now?" Casche asked, frightened.  
  
"I don't know," Mimma replied. "I don't know what to do."  
  
Horror engulfed the young girls' faces as they glanced back and forth and realized it was the same beast it had just transported itself. It was truly huge, but neither Mimma nor Casche could guess how fast the ogre would be able to progress. Sure they figured if they ran the beast would follow them, but what if it didn't. That would leave their unprotected friends. They were unconscious by their feet and could not protect themselves. As if to help their friends out, Neila and Alayia slowly began stirring.   
  
The beast had budged an inch from it's new spot and Casche and Mimma thought it would be safe to go to their friends. The two girls slowly walked to their classmates, never taking their watchful eyes off the monsters.   
  
"Neila! Wake up, please," Casche pleaded kneeling next to her companion.  
  
Mimma did the same next to Alayia and slowly both unconscious girls slowly began to come back to the world.   
  
"What...What...what happened?" Neila asked, putting a hand to her throbbing head. Then suddenly Neila began to remember some of what had happened earlier. "Where's Alayia?"  
  
"I'm ok," Alayia replied, her voice still sounding groggy. As if she had just recently woken up.  
  
"Where'd the beasts go?" Mimma asked suddenly.   
  
"What beasts?" Neila asked unsure.  
  
"They were here a second ago. I know they were." Casche repeated.  
  
"There have been no beasts," a new voice said and all four girls looked to see a young man probably only about the same age as themselves maybe a little older, standing there in dirty clothing. He had bright red hair and the Neila and Alayia couldn't help but think how much he looked like the boy they both had seen earlier.   
  
"Who are you?" Alayia asked.  
  
"You girls should have never come here," the boy said, and began laughing like the other had.  
  
Suddenly a rustling to their left distracted them from the boy who was to their right. The girls looked over and noticed Hercules, Dracus and Iolaus rush into the clearing.  
  
"What happened?" Hercules asked rushing over to everyone.   
  
"That boy," Mimma started but broke off when she glanced over and realized he wasn't there anymore.  
  
"What boy?" Iolaus asked curiously. None of the three guys had seen anyone else when they entered the grassland.   
  
"There was just some guy here, about our age," Neila added.   
  
"Hey where's Jason, Ash and Garen?" Casche asked suddenly realizing they weren't there anymore.  
  
"Ashley wasn't there when we got up so we thought she was with you guys. Jason and Garen went to look for them near the lake," Dracus explained.  
  
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OK even though I only got one review (thank you Kora your the best!) I decided to post the rest of it just in case anyone else is reading it and just didn't review. But if you do read it please review I don't care if you say it sucks just tell me I want to know! I'm not as proud of the end of this as I am the rest of the story but hopefully I will make up for myself in the next chapter!  
  
Ash 


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